SEE IT: Homeless Services sergeant kicked man living in shelter 11 times in the head: prosecutors

A sergeant for the city’s Department of Homeless Services brutally stomped and kicked a homeless man’s head 11 times while he was being held on the ground by other officers, prosecutors said Thursday.

Cordell Fitts, who resigned from Homeless Services, faces charges of excessive force and filing a false report, which carry a combined maximum sentence of 30 years.

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“Fitts’ alleged conduct not only betrayed his duty as an officer to protect those under his charge, but also violated the law. When the constitutional rights of individuals experiencing homelessness are violated, particularly by law enforcement officers, we will act aggressively to bring wrongdoers to justice,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said.

Prosecutors said that on March 6, 2017, a victim was seeking services at the Bellevue Homeless Shelter when surveillance cameras captured him “exchange words” with three DHS officers, including Fitts, 34.

The conversation got physical and the three officers struggled to restrain the victim. As two officers pinned the man to the ground, Fitts allegedly lost it. He punched the victim in the head twice, then kicked and stomped him in the head 11 times, prosecutors said.

The Bellevue Homeless Shelter was the site of the alleged attack. (Richard Harbus for New York Daily News)

The crazed sergeant backed off for 10 seconds to let his colleagues handcuff the victim. He then clobbered the man twice more in the head, according to a criminal complaint.

Fitts then filed a report falsely declaring the victim had said, “I am off my psych medication and going through a lot.” The statements were meant to “cover up and justify the assault,” prosecutors said.

The city’s Department of Investigation was also involved in the Fitts case.

“Shelters should provide a safe environment for the homeless of our city, not one where clients fear the officers employed to protect them,” DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said.

A Daily News investigation last year found that Homeless Services was downplaying violence and drug-related incidents through the shelter system. In January the city announced all officers who patrol the shelters will be equipped with body cameras.

“The actions described, including the cover-up, are horrifying and will never be tolerated in our city. Through our partnership with the NYPD, we remain squarely focused on improving shelter security while strengthening oversight,” a Homeless Services spokesman said.